EVENTS

Youtube Video: A special Wilkinson sword & a story from the Siege of Sevastopol 1854

Matt Easton in his capacity as an antique swords collector tells the fascinating story behind one of his swords – who its original owner was and why he (probably) requested this non-standard issue blade later in life. To me personally is this one of his best videos.

Comments

Wilkinson Sword used to make most of the USMC dress swords (OMG! NOT MADE IN USA!) until they closed that operation and now they are made by an American company. One of the things I always loved about the dress swords is the “mameluke” swords, which was an affectation picked up by Napoleon’s officers who served in Egypt -- many of whom looted rare and distinctive shamshir-style Persian blades -- which is how you get swords signed “Assad Ullah” the great swordmaker of Baghdad, in the Victoria and Albert: the swords were Ottoman treasures which wound up being stolen by the French then captured by the British at various battles. (I love the metallurgy in those blades but the ergonomics of the scimitar are horrible. I’ll take a katana, please!)

The grinds on European cavalry sabres are garbage. I’ve handled a napoleonic hussar’s sabre (on horseback no less!) and it’s like a great big scythe, crude. [insert plug for The Duellists which has some excellent and fairly accurate fight choreography]

That was a very interesting story about a very beautiful sword. It is amazing that over 150 years later, the swords’ history can be traced. Crimea is still being fought over, with Russia again in control of it.
My dad is a retired US Naval Officer, and his sword is a Wilkinson.
When I first started shaving with the old style double edge razors, I always used Wilkinson blades, until they became very difficult to find.